娱乐英语新闻:"Breaking Bad" writers among finalists announced for 2010 Humanitas Prize

LOS ANGELES, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-four writers, including those of highly acclaimed TV series "Breaking Bad," "Glee," and " The Good Wife" were announced as finalists for the 36th annual Humanitas prizes, the organizers said on Wednesday.

They will be competing in seven categories for 90,000 U.S. dollars in prize money to be handed out during a luncheon to be held on Sept. 16 at the Montage Beverly Hills, the Executive Director Cathleen Young and President John Wells announced.

"Humanitas exists to shine a light on writers who inspire us to think, feel, laugh and cry with stories that tell us where we've been, where we are and where we are going," said Humanitas executive director Cathleen Young. "Today's finalists epitomize all that Humanitas stands for: fully realized characters and elegant, powerful storytelling that entertains and uplifts us."

The writers from "Breaking Bad," "Glee," and "The Good Wife" will compete in the 60-minute television category with writers from "Grey's Anatomy," "In Treatment," and "Men of a Certain Age."

Oscar-winner Mark Boal was named a finalist in the feature film category for his screenplay of "The Hurt Locker." Other finalists are Lynn Roth for "The Little Traitor," Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman for "The Messenger" and Geoffrey Fletcher for "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire."

CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler will deliver the keynote address at the luncheon.

According to the organizers, past winners of Humanitas prizes have included David E. Kelley ("The Practice," "Picket Fences"); Ben Affleck and Matt Damon ("Good Will Hunting"); Aaron Sorkin (" The West Wing"); Tim Robbins ("Dead Man Walking"); Steven Levitan ("Frasier"); Paul Haggis ("Crash"); and Steven Bochco ("Hill Street Blues," "NYPD Blue").

Founded in 1974, the Humanitas Prize has handed out over 283 prized and dispersed over three million U.S. dollars in prize money to television and motion picture writers who explores human experience in their works.